A Dragon's Tail
Tail 2: Zetarus' Tail – Ambivalence
Tail 2-7: The Last Quakersand
Finally, after a very long wait, the day of Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony has finally arrived…
The Succession Ceremony was held in order for Emperor Garland to appoint Prince Terrus to be the 'real' crown prince of Dustorm Empire, and Emperor Garland will pass his power and title of Hero of Legend who held the power of Ground type to Prince Terrus, making it one of the most important days for Dustorm Empire.
The first part of this ceremony was for Emperor Garland to appoint Prince Terrus to be the crown prince of Dustorm Empire. Everyone who was at the banquet last night was also here to witness the ceremony, including…
'Where the hell is Zetarus?!' Diego looked around the main hall, where the first part of this ceremony was held. The last time he saw Zetarus was last night, when Zetarus told him that he would sneak into Desert Palace, but he had never seen that Garchomp again until now…
'Fxxk that bastard.' Diego thought. He then gave up looking for Zetarus and turned his attention to a prince and a princess of Fireview Kingdom instead…
'…How painful should I kill them? They must die in the most painful way possible for the thing they have done to me…' Diego thought to himself… And then… He decided to…
After the first part of the Succession Ceremony ended, it moved to the second part, the part where Prince Terrus inherit the power and title of Hero/ine of Ground type from Emperor Garland. Unlike the first part, where the ceremony was being held in the main hall of Desert Palace, the second part will be held in the 'Terra Room', a room that only allows the member of Quakersand Royal Family to enter. There were many tales of burglars who had broken into Desert Palace and had entered this room, only to be found as a skeleton…
Because of this, only five Pokemon were allowed to witness this ceremony. They were Emperor Garland, Prince Terrus, Princess Natasha, Prince Largo and Princess Freya. And now, all of them were in the Terra Room, preparing for the ceremony…
But they had no idea that there were actually six Pokemon in this room…
'Where the hell is that shark-dragon?!' Diego thought to himself as he walked around the main hall of Desert Palace, trying to find Zetarus. And then…
"…Wait a minute, I remember you."
Diego turned his attention back and saw an Aerodactyl standing not too far from him. As he turned his face to the Aerodactyl, he quickly spoke up.
"Hey! Aren't you a wanted criminal from Fireview Kingdom?!" Aerodactyl pointed his paw at Diego.
"Crap!" Diego mumbled and quickly ran away from the Aerodactyl and headed to the exit of Desert Palace.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Get back here you criminal scum!" Aerodactyl said and quickly flew after Diego, who already left Desert Palace…
-Meanwhile…
Behind the altar, the sixth Pokemon waited silently… That Pokemon was none other than Zetarus the Garchomp. The reason why he was here was to finish his task of killing Emperor Garland.
Zetarus waited silently behind the altar. He had learned that Emperor Garland will walk up to the altar to place his weapon here, and then he will turn back and pass his power to Prince Terrus who would stand at the door of this room. After receiving the power from Emperor Garland, Prince Terrus will walk up to the altar to take the weapon from there, thus ending the Succession Ceremony…
'When Emperor Garland transferred his power to Terrus, he will turn his back against the altar, and his weapon will not be with him…' Zetarus thought. 'That's my chance to bury a bullet into his skull…'
And now… The time had come…
Emperor Garland slowly walked up to the altar while Prince Terrus stood at the entrance of this room. Princess Natasha and Princess Freya stood left to the door while Prince Largo stood right to the door.
'Just a bit more…' Zetarus thought as he heard a sound of Emperor Garland's footstep.
When he reached the altar, Emperor Garland placed a glowing orange rifle that seemed like it was made from gemstone on the altar.
"The spirit of my ancestors…" Emperor Garland spoke up. "Witness this sacred ceremony!"
Emperor Garland turned back to where Prince Terrus was, and then he charged up his power, preparing to transfer it to his son!
'That's it!' Zetarus thought and aimed his Raider Pistol at the Emperor of Dustorm Empire's head. And…
"…My descendant." Emperor Garland spoke up and reached his paw forward. "I grant you my power!"
'NOW!' Zetarus pulled the trigger of his Raider Pistol!
"BANG!" The sound of a gunshot could be heard by everyone in this room, and then…
'WHAT?!" Zetarus was shocked because a bullet he shot didn't hit Emperor Garland! It missed and hit the wall instead!
"EAHA!" Freya covered her ears after she heard the sound of a gunshot. Natasha and Largo were panicking and weren't sure what to do next. Terrus looked around and tried to find the sniper, and Emperor Garland just stood there silently.
"W…Who's there?!" Largo spoke up.
"The bullet… was from there!" Terrus looked at the altar. "You there, show yourself!"
"…" Zetarus said nothing and decided to appear from behind the altar and revealed his existence to everyone. Upon seeing him, everyone, especially Emperor Garland, was shocked!
"W…What?!" Largo looked at the Garchomp who had just appeared from behind the altar.
"W…Who are you?!" Terrus asked.
"I have no need to answer your question, Prince Terrus." Zetarus spoke and turned his attention to Emperor Garland. "Emperor Garland, I challenge you to a duel!"
"What?!" Terrus said, but Emperor Garland didn't even panic. He just stood and looked at Zetarus before he revealed a crafty smile.
"Interesting…" Emperor Garland spoke up. "You tried to assassinate me, but you missed… And now, you think that you could defeat me, right?"
"Right." Zetarus answered.
"Then, I accept your challenge." Emperor Garland said, much to the surprise of everyone else in the room.
"What?!" Natasha and Largo spoke up.
"F…Father, you can't—" Terrus said, but his words were cut off by his father.
"Shut up, Terrus." Emperor Garland scolded. "The one who interrupt the sacred ceremony must be punished. Terrus, Natasha, Largo and Freya, stand still and let me murder this scum. This is an order!"
"Father…" Terrus mumbled, Natasha seemed to be restless, Largo spoke nothing, and Freya seemed to be anxious.
"Excellent." Zetarus said and pointed his Raider Pistol at Emperor Garland. "Now, die!"
Zetarus shot several bullets at Emperor Garland at high speed, but Emperor Garland could dodge all of them easily!
"WHAT?!" Zetarus cried out in shock.
"You idiot…" Emperor Garland spoke with a creepy voice. "I wasn't a Hero of Legend for nothing, you fool!"
Emperor Garland dashed up at Zetarus and slashed him at his abdomen! His action was so sudden that Zetarus couldn't defend himself!
"ARRGE!" Zetarus fell down onto his knees and dropped his Raider Pistol. In front of him was Emperor Garland, who looked at him with a creepy face.
"Only a scratch and you have already done for? Pathetic…" Emperor Garland spoke sarcastically.
"You!" Zetarus tried to stand up, only to find that his face was pointed by a pistol held by the Emperor of Dustorm Empire.
"Did you really think that I, without the Garnet Rifle, would be unarmed and vulnerable? Pathetic." Emperor Garland said. "I may not have the Garnet Rifle, but I still have my pistol, 'Black Sniper'. Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Damn you!" Zetarus roared.
"And… It's time for your punishment." Emperor Garland said while still pointed Black Sniper at Zetarus' face. "Normally, the sentence of interrupting the sacred ceremony is death, but… You were so pathetic that I, the merciful Emperor Garland, chose to lessen your punishment."
Emperor Garland shifted his Black Sniper a bit and made it pointed at Zetarus' right eye! "In the name of Emperor of Dustorm Empire, I sentence you to the half world of darkness for eternity!"
"BANG!" Emperor Garland shot Zetarus in his right eye, making Zetarus roar in pain!
"ARRRRRRRRR!"
"EAHEAEAEAEA!" Freya cried. "F…Father! W…What you have done?!"
"F…Father?!" Natasha said and covered Freya's eyes with her fins.
"W…What?!" Largo was shocked by his father's action.
"Tss…." Terrus was shocked too, but he was good at keeping cool.
"Do you love my punishment?" Emperor Garland said with a cold-blooded voice as Zetarus covered his right eye with his paw. "Now, your right eye will be blind forever! That's my punishment."
"DAMN YOU!" Zetarus cried in pain and tried to stop the blood that flew out of his right eye. Right now, he realized half of his vision was cut off.
"Well then, let's continue the ceremony." Emperor Garland said as if nothing had happened and passed his power to Terrus by surrounding him with orange aura, giving him an enormous power.
"And now, the ceremony is over." Emperor Garland said after he finished transferring his power of Ground type to Terrus. "I will leave right now. For this pathetic Garchomp…" Emperor Garland looked at Zetarus. "I will leave his fate in your paw, Terrus. Spare him or kill him, I don't care."
After finishing everything, Emperor Garland walked up to the door of the room and left the room, but…
"COME BACK, YOU BASTARD!" Zetarus said and tried to follow Emperor Garland, but was stopped by Terrus.
"Give up, you criminal!" Terrus spoke. "As the crown prince and the Hero of Ground type, I order you to surrender or face death!"
"…Hahaha…" Zetarus slowly stood up and uncovered his right eye. The red liquid slowly dripped from the place that was once his right eye and fell on the floor. "So, you won't let me kill that bastard, right? Then, I must kill you first, Prince Terrus."
"Never!" Largo and Natasha walked up and stood beside Terrus, with Freya reluctantly following them. "If you want to fight Terrus, you must fight us too!"
"…So be it." Zetarus said and picked up his Raider Pistol, and the royal children also prepared for a battle too…
-Meanwhile…
"Stop!" Soryl roared and threw his Amethyst Chakram at Diego, which the Charizard barely dodged it. Right now, Soryl had chased after Diego until both of them were in Dustorm Desert west of Dustorm City. They were now having a sky battle!
"Sxxt." Diego mumbled as his opponent was an Aerodactyl, a rock and flying type Pokemon, which had a huge advantage over a fire and flying type Pokemon like him. Moreover, his opponent seemed to be very skilled in aerial battle, which wasn't a thing that Diego was good at.
"Curse my flying type…" Diego thought. 'Why must I be a flying type Pokemon too? Being a fire type is good enough for me…'
"What's wrong, scumbag?" Soryl spoke. "You finally realize that a Charizard like you couldn't win against an Aerodactyl like me, right? And it seemed like you are only good at a land battle, but a Sky Knight like me is very good at aerial battle! You will never defeat me!"
"…For a gladiator like me…" Diego spoke up. "There's one thing I always keep in my mind. IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED! RRRRR!"
Diego grabbed his Naginata, and then continued his battle with the Aerodactyl!
-Meanwhile…
Royal Children of Dustorm Empire
Prince Terrus Quakersand the Garchomp
Princess Natasha Venomist the Dragalge
Prince Largo Boneskull the Alolan Marowak
Princess Freya Mirasert the Flygon
Zetarus looked at his opponents, Terrus, Natasha, Largo and Freya. Zetarus then figured out that Terrus was a Paladin, Natasha was a Valkyrie, Largo was a Spiritual Shaman, and Freya was a Healer.
"This is madness…" Terrus spoke up and looked at Zetarus. "Your opponents are the royal children of Dustorm Empire, and you are one-eye blind. No matter how I look, you are at a huge disadvantage."
"And I prefer to make it double." Zetarus said and grabbed the Garnet Rifle that was placed on the altar and threw it at Terrus. Terrus quickly grabbed it before it fell onto the floor.
"W…What are you doing?!" Largo said.
"Prince Terrus, you are now the Hero of Ground type, so, what's the deal of a Hero of Legend without his personal weapon?" Zetarus answered.
Everyone turned their attention to Terrus, who held the Garnet Rifle in his right paw. Suddenly, the Garnet Rifle glowed a mysterious light before it changed its shape into a huge sword with an orange blade that glittered like a huge sparkling gemstone.
"T…This…" Terrus mumbled.
"…The tale was true after all." Zetarus spoke up. "The personal weapon of Hero of Legend will change its shape to match its owner's skill."
"…For me, it changed into a giant blade…" Terrus mumbled. "Alright, I will call it, Garnet Blade."
"Spare the moment of naming for later, okay?" Zetarus spoke up. "For now, let me kill all of you first."
"Right." Terrus said and equipped his newly-obtained Garnet Blade. Natasha and Largo also equipped their weapons, which were a whip and a club respectively. However, Freya seemed to be reluctant.
"I…" Freya spoke up. "I don't want to fight you, Zetarus."
"What?!" Terrus, Natasha and Largo looked at the Flygon. "Do you know him?!" Largo asked.
"Right." It was Zetarus who answered the question. "I was the one who escorted Princess Freya from Windsky Plateau to this place one week ago."
"WHAT?!" Terrus, Natasha and Largo said.
"And… Did you say that I would lose because this battle is 4 against 1?" Zetarus looked at his opponents. "I must say that I already killed everyone at Desert Prison, so… It won't be hard for me to kill all of you."
"W…What does that mean?" Terrus asked.
"It means that I am a prisoner who has escaped from Desert Prison and killed everyone there one month ago." Zetarus answered.
Zetarus' word shocked everyone in this room, especially Freya.
"Y…You!" Largo said. "W…We will kill you right now!"
"Wait!" Terrus spoke up. "You said that you have escaped from Desert Prison and killed everyone there, but you were the one who escorted Freya here… That doesn't make sense!"
"R…Right." Freya said. "If you are truly that prisoner, then why didn't you kill me back then?!"
"I have my own reason, which I refuse to tell any of you." Zetarus answered. "But I may tell you if you all could defeat me in a battle."
"Then…" Terrus, Natasha and Largo got into an offensive stance, while Freya was still reluctant about what to do next.
"Idiots…" Zetarus mumbled and looked at the Ring of Balance on his claw. "You shall suffer under the wrath of earth! Zygarde, I summon you!"
Zetarus placed his paw on the floor and summoned the Order Pokemon!
"LAND'S WRATH!" Zygarde roared and attacked the foes with seismic waves generated from underground! Luckily, Terrus' Garnet Blade created a shield that protected him from Zygarde's Land's Wrath, and Freya didn't get any damage thanks to her Levitate, but Natasha and Largo were attacked severely!
"ARGAGR!" Natasha and Largo fell down on the floor.
"Natasha! Largo!" Freya quickly went up to them and tried to heal them with her power, leaving Terrus to face Zetarus alone.
"That was easy…" Zetarus spoke up. "Only one attack and three of four enemies already done for…"
"Shut up." Terrus said and pointed his sword at Zetarus. "You are the scum of the earth, and I, Terrus Quakersand the Garchomp, won't allow you to contaminate the earth any further!"
"Sigh…" Zetarus mumbled. "Couldn't you use easier words? Oh, well…"
Zetarus pointed Raider Pistol and Terrus and shot several bullets at him! However, something strange happened. Despite Zetarus only had one eye left, all bullets that were shot from his Raider Pistol were very much more accurate than before, and Terrus would be done for if he didn't use his Garnet Blade to block some of them!
'What?!' Zetarus thought. 'I usually shoot several bullets at a target at the same time because if I shoot only one or two bullets, I may miss the target. But now…'
"YAH!" Terrus dashed up to Zetarus and slashed him with Garnet Blade, but Zetarus was able to dodge it!
'This guy…' Zetarus thought. 'His weapon is a giant blade that others normally wield it two-handed, but he could use it one-handed…'
Zetarus shot several bullets at Terrus again, but his attack was blocked by Terrus' Garnet Blade again!
'His defense is good.' Zetarus thought. 'But his speed isn't as good as mine…'
"Bulldoze!" Terrus stomped on the ground to attack Zetarus, but Zetarus dodged the attack by jumping into the air!
"Aerial Ace!" Zetarus dived at Terrus with high speed, but Terrus used Garnet Blade to block his attack again!
"DAMN YOU!" Zetarus roared and jumped backward. He then dashed up to Terrus again!
"CRUNCH!" Zetarus roared and buried his sharp fangs on Terrus' back!
"GREER!" Terrus roared in pain. "SLASH!" Terrus slashed Zetarus with his sharp claw, making Zetarus's back bled red blood!
But then…
"STOP!"
Zetarus and Terrus' attentions were turned to a Flygon who had just spoken up. They then got away from each other and realized that Freya was… crying…
"W…Why…" Freya spoke up. "W…Why do you have to fight each other?"
"Because he tried to kill our father!" Terrus answered.
"Because he stands in my way of killing Emperor Garland!" Zetarus answered.
"Z…Zetarus…" Freya spoke up again. "W…Why do you have to kill father?"
"I want to know too." Terrus spoke up. "Zetarus, what is the reason for you to kill Emperor Garland?"
"There is no reason for this." Zetarus answered. "I want to kill Emperor Garland because I know it is the thing I must do, and I will do it even if it means that I must face death!"
"You… You are psychopathic…" Terrus mumbled. "Didn't your parents teach you about the value of life?!"
"Sadly, I have grown up in Desert Prison since when I was in an egg." Zetarus answered. "Have I killed someone? Have I committed any treason? The answer is no, but why did I have to suffer alone while all of you live here in such a better life?"
"W…What?" Terrus was confused by Zetarus' words. "W…What does it mean?!"
"You still don't know, pathetic…" Zetarus answered. "This room is Terra Room, the room that only allowed the member of the royal family to enter, but here I am, standing here safe and fine… Do you know what does it mean?"
"…You have the blood of Quakersand, right?" Terrus mumbled.
"Yes." Zetarus said. "And there's more. Prince Terrus, Princess Natasha, Prince Largo and Princess Freya, your ages are 25,23,19 and 16, right? Well, let me tell you that my age is 21."
"W…WHAT?!" Terrus, Natasha and Largo were shocked as they realized something. "I…It can't be!"
"But it's the truth." Zetarus said. "My real name is Zetarus Quakersand the Garchomp, and I am the third children of Quakersand Royal Family."
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: Only two more chapters and the second tail will end!
Wow… Many things happened in this chapter… Especially at the last paragraph…
A special thanks to Ridin Valon for helping me with the error correction.